Tear of Paradise
by glindalovesshoes
Summary: "She didn't care about the money; the only thing she wanted were the two one-way tickets to America, aboard no other ship than the Titanic. The ship of dreams." A tale of love beyond classes and the fate of two lovers enmeshed in the web of destiny in a heartbreaking tragedy. Extreme AU / Romance / Drama
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Hey there guys! I hope you all recovered from "Pretty Red Lady" and you're ready to come on another journey with me :) Blame the movie "Titanic" for this fic, because it gave me the idea when I saw it on TV a few months ago. For those of you wondering about the title – it'll all be explained later :)

It'd be cool if you could give it a chance since I know Extreme AU is always a bit difficult to read but also to write. So… here are your tickets for the maiden journey of the Titanic with Jane and Lisbon on board! I hope you enjoy!

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**Summary: "**She didn't care about the money; the only thing she wanted were the two one-way tickets to America, aboard no other ship than the Titanic. The ship of dreams." A tale of love beyond classes and the fate of two lovers enmeshed in the web of destiny in a heartbreaking tragedy. Extreme AU / Romance / Drama

**Disclaimer: **None of the characters from The Mentalist belong to me, they belong to Warner Brothers and producer Bruno Heller. Neither does the background idea of the Titanic movie from James Cameron. Also, I claim no rights to the RMS Titanic, a ship of White Star Lines. Only the idea to this story belongs to me.

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Tear of Paradise

(1)

Never in her whole life had Grace seen a mighty and magnificent ship like this. She had to stretch her neck right up, so she could see through the window of the car up to the four tall yellow funnels, which was almost impossible, because they were too high up. The only thing she could see was the fuselage, colored in a shiny new black, and the deck, which was held in a precious white. The Titanic.

For a second, she held her breath, the realization sinking in that this ship would be her way into a whole new world. Goodbye, England, goodbye London, goodbye to what she'd called "home" for her whole life, and hello America. The Titanic was called the Ship of Dreams, a floating paradise – too bad that it felt more like a nightmare to her.

Panic rose up in her chest, but she swallowed it down, like she'd been taught to by her governess. A real lady didn't show sadness or fear in public. A real lady smiled. Carefully, she forced a smile on her lips, finally being allowed to exit the car.

"The Titanic is the biggest ship in the world, my dear. Gigantic, isn't it?" the young man who helped her out of the car asked impressed.

"Indeed, Mr. Stiles, indeed."

He shook his head, giving her a concerned look: "Please, Grace. I asked you to call me Craig after you accepted my proposal, remember?"

Grace smiled apologetically, suddenly feeling the weight of the beautiful engagement ring on her left ring finger that was hidden under the white satin gloves she was wearing. Of course, she forgot. This wasn't Mr. Stiles, this was Craig, her fiancé, the man she would marry once she stepped on American soil.

The panic in her chest came back immediately. Thankfully, their conversation was interrupted by a second car stopping right behind them. The first one to exit was a tall man with blond curls, wearing a fine dark blue suit. He threw her an encouraging smile before he turned around to help the woman exiting the car after him.

She was also tall, with black hair neatly in a bun, and wore a tight dark red coat with a fitting hat. Her cold brown eyes lingered on Grace for a second before they slid to Craig and a warming smile entered her face.

"It's so good to see you, brother," she exclaimed, rushing over to him, not waiting for the blond man to lead her. "Did you enjoy the ride here?"

Craig nodded. "Yes, we did, Lorelei. Grace was surprised about all the people here, weren't you, dear?"

The redhead nodded dutifully, before she was welcomed with a warm hug by the blond man, who wasn't paying attention to the crowd or the ship. "Hello Grace," he whispered, "are you okay?"

"I am, Patrick, don't worry all the time!" she answered, but she knew her brother could see right through her. Grace was glad she wouldn't have to take the long journey with only her fiancé and his sister Lorelei, who for some reason despised her. Her brother would be with her, and he'd done long journeys like this before. Also, she wouldn't be alone once they arrived in New York. He'd promised to stay with her until the wedding was through, before he would cross the country to attend to his business in California.

He released her from the hug but stayed right beside her, much to Lorelei's discomfort. The woman really had laid an eye on him and when their father had found out, plans for a second liaison between the two families were quickly made.

Speaking of their father, a third car arrived, honking at the crowd to get out of its way. Three men exited, all dressed up in fine black suits, wearing top hats on their heads. They came over immediately, greeting the group that had already arrived.

"Good morning, Mr. Jane, Miss Bertram, I hope you had a pleasant ride here?" The oldest of the three asked, before he bowed slightly to take Grace's hand and kiss it lightly.

"We did, Mr. Stiles, thank you for inviting us to join your journey to New York," Grace said formally.

"My pleasure, my child. I'm afraid your father is not going to join us. You're not going to miss your only daughter's wedding, are you, Gale?"

Gale Bertram, the man standing next to him, forced a fake smile. "I can't say for sure, Mr. Stiles, but I'm sure I leave my daughter in good hands. Also, Patrick is with you, so she won't be walking down the aisle alone."

Grace felt her brother stiffen and prayed for him to not do anything stupid. The relationship between Patrick and her father had always been very difficult since their mother died. Especially because Patrick wasn't his child; he was from their mother's first marriage with a troubled man named Alex Jane, a conman, who'd been able to con everyone into believing he was a rich businessman from North America. That's why her father hated Patrick so much, although in Grace's opinion, it wasn't her brother's fault.

Still, she felt a little sad her father wouldn't be with her on her wedding. He'd been the one to pressure her into accepting young Mr. Stiles's proposal after all, because his company was almost broke. Making her marry into the family of one of the richest men in North America and England would bring his company new contracts.

"May I have a word with you?" Jane asked his stepfather, suppressing the anger in his voice. "Alone?"

"Patrick…" Grace mumbled, trying to hold him back, but he just shot her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, Grace. Please do me a favor and board the ship with the Stileses, would you? Your baggage will be taken care of, right, Mr. Stiles?"

Bret Stiles nodded, offering an arm to his daughter Lorelei, who didn't look happy at all right now. "We still have some time until the Titanic casts off, so why don't we explore the deck while they bring the baggage to our suites? Miss Bertram, would you like to tell your father goodbye?"

Grace left Jane's side to kiss her father on the cheek. Usually she would have hugged him, but she knew they were in public and besides, she was still a little angry with him for making her marry Craig.

When she was a little girl, he'd always told her to wait as long as she wanted until her prince came along, so she could fall in love like he had with their mother. He hadn't kept his promise to her and she'd been really upset. But she knew a lady had to do what a lady had to do. That's what her mother had told her.

"Goodbye, Grace. I'm proud of you. Promise me you'll have an eye on your brother."

"I will," she whispered, teary-eyed. I'm going to miss you, daddy…" She swallowed hard, giving him another kiss on the cheek, before she turned around and left with the Stileses, knowing full well this would probably be the last time she'd see her father for a long time.

Craig tried to comfort her by pressing her hand, but the thought that she'd have to leave her old life and start something completely new with a man she didn't love in a country she didn't know was scaring her deeply. So comfort from a complete stranger who was going to be her husband soon was no comfort at all.

* * *

Patrick Jane and Gale Bertram waited until Grace and the Stileses were out of earshot before the blond man was finally able to let all his suppressed anger out. "I can't believe you're making her do this!" he shouted angrily.

"It's the best for your sister. Craig Stiles is a good match for her," Bertram answered calmly.

"You mean it's a good match for you and your company!"

"Do I have to remind you, Patrick, that I'm the one who's been sponsoring your crazy adventures all around the planet? We all have to do what we have to do. Yes, I do hope my company will be better after the marriage, but think of Grace! She's marrying into a wealthy family and I don't have to worry about her anymore. Do you want me to go bankrupt and let her live a life below her standards?"

"I only want the best for her," Jane said, still angry, although his stepfather had a point. The chances his company would get better on its own were small, so if the family lost all the money, they would also lose their reputation in London's high society. People would turn their backs on them; so called "friends" would snub them.

Grace wouldn't survive all of that. Of course, she was strong, especially after their mother had died, but she could never stand the gossip. It'd make her sick. It still wasn't fair to her.

"You want the best for her, Patrick, and that's what I'm doing. She might not be happy at first, but she'll learn to live with it."

"That's why you made me come to England, right? So I'd be with her," Jane concluded.

Bertram nodded. "Yes. And if you want to keep on living that extravagant lifestyle of yours, you should consider your chances here. I talked to Bret Stiles. His daughter is very interested in you."

"Yeah, there is no chance to overlook that fact," the blond mumbled. Of course he had a thing for women, had had many over the years, but he was good at reading people and Lorelei Stiles was nothing like what he'd call a woman for the rest of his life. Behind her innocent brown eyes was a coldness that made him shiver sometimes.

"Well good, Patrick. See, you give me the impression that you're a clever man." The two men shot each other a look full of disdain. "So if you know what's good for you and your sister, you might consider the offer Bret made me. If you marry into the family, you can work for his company and still have an eye on Grace."

"You want me to marry Lorelei so Grace isn't alone?"

"She'd be devastated if you left her. You don't want your sister to be unhappy, right? Once you marry her, it doesn't mean you can't have other women. I think if you talk to her you'll see that she's not interested into having a single lover for the rest of her life, either. So here's the deal. You're going to make Lorelei a present that will show your affection for her. You will woo her, and once you arrive in New York, you're going to propose. Heck, it would be even better if you did it on the last night you're on the ship," Bertram explained. He pulled a little case out of his suit jacket that was flat and about the size of a hand.

Jane kept staring at him in disbelief. His step-father couldn't be serious, could he?!

Bertram opened the black velvet case, holding it toward Patrick. Inside was a long silver necklace with a turquoise-green emerald in form of a perfectly shaped drop, about the size of his thumb. Jane had never been much interested in jewelry, but this necklace must be a piece of art and highly expensive.

"It's called the 'Tear of Paradise,' a very rare sort of emerald. There are only three known gems with this color and this size."

"I've heard of it, when I was in Berlin. A museum there is displaying the two counterparts. It's weird you're giving it to me, because I've heard the third one is lost. I didn't even know it was in our family's possession. I thought your company was in trouble! If you sell this, you could save it and Grace wouldn't have to marry Stiles's son. Instead you want me to give it to Lorelei. Have you ever thought about giving it to Grace?" he asked instead.

Bertram shut the case, debating whether to give it to him or not. "It's not as easy as you think, boy. Stiles knows about the necklace and wants it in his family. It was one of the reasons why he agreed that Craig should marry your sister. I couldn't give it to her, because it would still be hers then. If you don't give it to Lorelei, Stiles is going to make life very difficult for your sister once she's married, so I dare you. Don't screw it up, Patrick. We all want what's best for Grace."

The men kept staring at one another, until Jane finally took the case and pushed it into the inside pocket of his suit jacket. "Where did you steal it from?"

Bertram smiled. "Don't worry your head about formalities, Patrick. Remember what I told you. Now you should board the ship. I wouldn't want it to cast off without you. Driver! Take me back to London," he shouted, before he stepped inside one of the waiting cars without saying goodbye.

"Bastard," Jane mumbled angrily. Just to screw with his stepfather's plans, he'd like to miss the journey, but Grace would be devastated. So he pulled himself together and walked toward the gate where the first class passengers could board.

He really didn't want to go. He needed a drink to let everything settle in first. Grace was going to marry Craig Stiles, while he was supposed to propose to Lorelei. Over the years he'd met enough women to tell exactly what kind Lorelei was. Bertram was right. She wasn't the faithful type and got bored extremely fast.

Why should he waste a life with a woman like her, a woman he didn't love? Moments like this brought to mind the few memories he still had from when he was a kid. His parents had loved each other, even if his dad was a conman. The look he had when he came home and his mother was waiting for him… it was true love.

He didn't want any woman, he wanted someone like this, someone like his mother - a woman who challenged him but knew how to keep him in line, a woman who loved him unconditionally. Lorelei was definitely _not _this woman.

A quick look at his pocket watch told him he still had over half an hour until the Titanic would cast off, so he fought his way through the crowd and smiled when he saw a pub at the end of the road. Thank god this was England and thank god they had tea everywhere.

* * *

The clock was ticking. Carefully, very carefully, she observed the two men in front of her, who were staring at their cards. The left one always blinked when he was bluffing, she could tell. But the right one was far harder to read. Well, one could screw Rigsby over, because even a layman could see he didn't have anything.

So, the match would be between the fat right guy and her. Teresa Lisbon took a sip of her beer, waiting for the fat guy to make a move. She didn't care about the money; the only thing she wanted were the two one-way tickets to America, aboard no other ship than the Titanic. She needed these tickets badly.

_Come on, give me a sign you__'__re bluffing_! But his mind was hard like a stone. If they didn't hurry, none of them would use the tickets, because they would miss the ship.

Maybe she had to put more pressure into the game. "All in," she said, putting her last money onto the middle of the table. She had to get these tickets.

"Lisbon!" Wayne mumbled in shock. "I'm out." He threw his cards on the table, while the guy on the left did the same.

"Mind if I join in?" someone asked. The four players turned around, casting a look at the newbie behind them, who was holding a cup and saucer in his hands.

"What the hell do you want?" the fat guy asked, annoyed. "Get your fancy ass away from our table and fuck off."

Patrick Jane smiled apologetically before he pulled a bunch of U.S. dollars out of his pocket. "I'm sorry, I thought you might be interested in this… But I can leave if you want."

The fat guy's eyes lit up at the sight of so much foreign money. "Hardy, lend the gentleman your chair."

"But Smith…" the other man complained. One look from Smith and he jumped up, giving the chair to Jane, who set his tea down and took two cards after throwing the money into the middle.

"I didn't agree to this," Lisbon exclaimed.

"Shut up, girl, and show your cards!" Smith said, making the stranger chuckle.

She threw the blond man an angry look, but he just grinned at her, shrugging his shoulders in anticipation. Sometimes she hated being a woman and not being taken seriously by men, especially with things like poker.

Lisbon took a deep breath before she laid her cards down. "Straight."

"Dammit!" Smith shouted, throwing his cards on the table. He had three of a kind. She knew it. She knew he'd been bluffing when he called. The tickets were as good as safe. All eyes wandered over to the gentleman in the blue suit, waiting for him to show his cards.

First, he took a long sip of his tea, then he showed his cards with a sly smile. "Full House. I'm sorry for the money guys, I have a ship to catch." His eyes wandered to the clock on the wall. It was time to go, especially because the two guys didn't seem pleased he'd won at all. Quickly, Jane grabbed his bills from the table and left, hearing the two guys starting to fight.

Winning a little game of poker was a real satisfaction. He felt better now.

Teresa started after the blond man, furious with Smith, Hardy, and him. She would have won if he hadn't shown up! She was supposed to be on that ship. She had to be on this ship, because she'd just given her last money to win the tickets.

One last look at the cards made her realize they had been fooled. This guy had cheated with a card that wasn't from their deck! Anger bubbled up inside her. The son of a bitch had pulled one over on them without her realizing it.

Why would someone like him, who looked like he grew up getting everything shoved into his butt, need two third-class tickets for the Titanic? He looked rich enough to own the ship!

"Come on, Wayne!" she shouted and grabbed her bag. This business would not be left unfinished.

"Where are we going?" the tall man asked, slightly disappointed. He regretted he hadn't been better help in the game.

"Well, we are going to get our damn tickets of course! I won't let a chance like this slip away."

They grabbed their things, leaving Smith and Hardy to their fight. From afar, Lisbon could see the blond curls vanishing into the crowd. Sometimes she really hated that she was so short. "Can you see him?"

"Yes, come on, I think he wants to board the ship!"

Regardless of consequences, the two friends pushed their way through the crowd, earning mean looks from the people who were waiting for the ship to cast off and wave goodbye to their families on deck.

"Hey," she screamed, pushing a woman aside to get to the blond man, who was turning around, confused, when she grabbed his arm.

"I'm sorry, do I know y—aaargh!" He almost went down, holding his nose, while Teresa massaged her knuckles.

"Dammit! You cheating bastard! Give me my tickets!"

Jane looked up, surprised to see the small woman from the poker game standing in front of him, her magnificent green eyes sparkling with anger. She was petite, dressed in a simple pair of trousers – very uncommon for a woman in this era – and a green wool jacket, wearing her dark brown hair in a high ponytail. Damn, how could such a little woman have a punch like that?

"Give me my tickets," she demanded again, her fist balled and ready to punch him one more time.

"I'm sorry, but I don't see why I should do that."

She was about to punch him again, when her tall friend held her back. "Don't, Teresa. People are looking and I don't want to end up in jail – again."

"Everything was fine until you came along! I'd have won that stupid game! But you, you had to come and interrupt us! I saw the card you had, you cheated, you lying bastard! Why would you even need the tickets, when you could buy the whole ship with just your fancy suit! I need those tickets you got!"

"So the first thing to do is punch the man who is holding the tickets?" Jane asked, now amused. "I didn't even know I had your tickets. I thought it was all money. You simply could have asked, woman!"

Teresa looked at him in surprise. "Excuse me?"

He almost laughed. Oh he loved it when people were fun to mess with, and this petite brunette definitely was. "I told you, you simply could have asked and I would have given you the tickets. No need to punch me for that! Well…?"

"What _well_?" Was he kidding? Was he secretly enjoying messing with her? Probably, because his grin became wider and wider.

Jane laughed, but flinched when his nose started hurting. Thank god nothing was broken. "Well, do you want the tickets?"

"Of course I do!" Lisbon exclaimed, reaching for them, but Jane held them out of her reach.

"Then be a nice girl and _ask_."

She looked like she'd really like to shoot him right here and now. Jane raised an eyebrow, looking to her, up to her friend, and back to her. He could see how the tall man gave her a nudge with his elbow.

"_Fine_. Could you _please_ give me the tickets you illegally won, you cheating son of a—"

"I think that's enough," Jane grinned, before he pushed the tickets into her hand. "I'd love to continue our little discussion of what I am, but I'm needed on board. Have a nice journey, milady."

Before Lisbon could add another curse, he was gone. "Oh, I wanna beat him up and throw him into the ocean," she mumbled, but Rigsby just smiled. "What's wrong?"

"I've never seen a man get to you like this, that's all. We got the tickets, so let's hurry and get on the ship before it casts off without us. America, here we come!"

They were on board just in time, as the workers pulled the gateways away and loosened the ropes.

* * *

The ship honked, white smoke emerged from the funnels, and every passenger could feel the ship starting to float away from the dock.

People were waving their loved ones goodbye, calling one last wish, while others were just standing there and watching. The maiden voyage of the Titanic had started. The biggest ship of its time. It would stop in Cherbourg and Queenstown before it started its long journey across the Atlantic Ocean to New York.

The feelings of the passengers were mixed. Some were happy to leave England behind and looked forward to becoming a part of the American dream, like Teresa Lisbon, who clutched the arm of her friend Wayne Rigsby, happy to have made it on the ship in time.

Others looked back at the port teary-eyed, afraid of what the future in a far away country might hold for them.

Grace Bertram was one of these people. She clutched her hands around the railing, wishing to be back in her room in her townhouse in central London, getting ready for lunch. But no, lunch would be served in the dining saloon today, followed by the dinner afterward.

The Titanic was not paradise, like Lorelei had called it when they had entered their suites for the first time. It was her prison now, until they arrived in New York. There was no escape. Her room was directly next to Lorelei's, followed by Craig's, then Patrick's. Speaking of which, she hadn't seen him since she left him with her father. Hopefully he'd made it. He wouldn't leave her alone, right? _Right?_

Just then, said blond man appeared next to her, watching the ship leaving Southampton behind. He laid one of his hands on hers and squeezed it, like he wanted to tell her everything was going to be fine. Grace doubted it, but she was a lady, no matter what.

"Come inside, dear, I don't want you to get cold," Craig said, when the port of Southampton wasn't more than a line at the horizon. She obeyed. This would be her life now.

* * *

A/N: Well here we are! Special thanks goes to Idan for betaing and Totorsg and Nerwen Aldarion for helping me with my doubts about this story.  
I really hope you enjoyed it and would like to read more! As always, the captain would love to hear your opinion about how good or bad the ship is sailing so far… so feel free to leave a review :)

Liefs


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hey there! Let's continue our journey ;)  
I'm overwhelmed by your response and wanted to thank you all so much! Especially for all the guest reviews! Thank you!

Now have fun with the next one :)

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(2)

Teresa couldn't believe she was actually going to spend the journey to New York on the biggest ship in the world. She kept staring at the vanishing outlines of the British coast, while the ship crossed the English Channel toward Cherbourg, France, where some passengers would leave the ship and some others would board to start the long journey to New York.

New York. Finally. She'd waited more than four years for this moment, happy her dream would finally come true. Fate hadn't always been good to her in her past, and for a tiny second it had looked like she wouldn't get on the ship after the rich guy in the pub had won the tickets. But he'd given them to her, even though she still wanted to kick his ass for making fun of her.

"You did it, Teresa," Rigsby said with an encouraging smile. "We'll be in New York in less than a week. Have you written to your uncle?"

She shook her head. "No, Uncle Virgil doesn't know; I want to surprise them. Besides, I wasn't sure if I was going to be on this ship, so I didn't want to get their hopes up."

"You've worked really hard the last few years to get your brothers over there."

"I couldn't have done it without you, Rigs," Lisbon said, nudging his shoulder with her fist. "I owe you big time."

"My mom is gone, my dad is in jail…. I don't have anything that holds me here, Teresa, so it's a new beginning for me, too. Hey, you did promise me a piece of this fabulous pizza once we arrive in Chicago, so I think we're even."

His stomach grumbled loudly, which made her laugh. "You can't think about anything but food, right, Wayne?"

"What can I say…speaking of – why don't we go downstairs and check out our room before dinner?"

"Dinner won't be served until seven o'clock!"

Rigsby's face fell immediately at the horror of having to wait a little less than six hours until he'd finally get something to eat.

"I won't survive this trip," he mumbled, sighing, while they walked down the stairs to the G-deck, checking the long, crowded hallways for their room. Everything looked the same, and it would take some time to not get lost on this big ship.

"I think this is it! G84." Lisbon exclaimed happily, pushing the door open to a small room with two simple loft beds and no window. The light was already switched on and a green bag was resting on top of one of the two loft beds.

There was nothing fancy here; it looked spartan but nice – to Teresa it felt like it was the most wonderful place on earth.

"Seems like we're not alone, Rigs. Which bed do you want?"

"Ladies first," the tall man mumbled, looking at the beds rather critically. They looked pretty short for his tall body, and he was sure at least his feet would stick out of it when he lay down.

"I'll take the top one then," Lisbon grinned, climbing up the two stairs of the ladder in no time, like a quick little monkey. "I still can't believe it! We're on the Titanic!"

Laughing, she took her pillow and hurled it in the direction of Rigsby, who ducked just in time to not get hit. Too bad for the Asian man who'd just opened the door to step inside the cabin. The pillow hit him full force in the face.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," Lisbon apologized. "That wasn't meant for you."

"It's okay," the Asian man said, sounding a little annoyed. He tossed the pillow back up to her bed, and she caught it.

"I'm Teresa Lisbon and this is my friend Wayne Rigsby," she introduced. "It's nice to meet you."

"I'm Cho," he introduced himself, before he sat down on the bed and pulled a book out of his bag. Lisbon and Rigsby threw each other a quizzical look.

"Is Cho your first or last name? Or is it just Cho?"

"Just Cho," he answered without looking up from his book. Well, it didn't seem like he was very interested into talking to the two of them, so Teresa just shrugged, while Rigsby kept staring at "just Cho." Who cared, maybe this man just wanted to mind his own business.

Rigsby sat down on the bed, hitting his head on the wood. "Ouch!" Over him, he could hear Teresa chuckle, which increased when his stomach grumbled – again.

"I'll starve before dinner!" he whined.

"Ey," Cho said, and Rigsby looked up just in time to catch the apple that was flying toward him. "Eat that. I can't concentrate with your stomach grumbling so loudly."

"It's an apple!" Rigsby exclaimed, confused.

"It's time to start eating healthy, Rigs. You can't live your whole life on fish and chips or pizza once we're in America. Thank you very much, Mr. Cho." Lisbon smiled down to him.

"If you're hungry, the storage rooms for all the food are located on our deck. Maybe you can sneak in and get something," the Asian suggested.

Rigsby jumped up, bumping his head on the board again. "Dammit! Are you serious about the food?"

"Yes."

"Don't you dare, Wayne," Lisbon called, but he was already out the door. "You were kidding about the food, right, Cho?"

Finally Cho looked up, something close to a smile on his face. "No, but the doors are locked and a guard is standing watch so nobody gets in there."

"You do realize when Rigsby doesn't find anything to eat, he'll be wailing for the rest of the day?"

"He'll learn to live with it," Cho said, then continued reading.

* * *

Later that day, the Titanic anchored close to the French coast near Cherbourg, waiting for other passengers to join the ship.

Jane was standing in the personal saloon, a bright room with lounge chairs, little tables and plants, watching out of the window, seeing the little ship that had brought the new passengers cast off back to the mainland. It didn't take long, and the bell rang, indicating that the Titanic was continuing on its way to Ireland. Parts of the French coast were lit with bright lights, fading at the horizon but reminding him of the times he spent traveling through the country.

He'd give anything to be anywhere but on this ship. A small hand touched his shoulder, and Grace stepped into view next to him wearing a loose dark blue dress, her hair pinned up beautifully. She smiled; it didn't reach her eyes though.

"Mr. Stiles is asking us to join them for dinner, " she murmured but didn't make an attempt to move. Instead she stared out of the open window, listening to the hum of classic music coming from the dining rooms.

"Have you ever been to Paris, Grace?" Jane asked.

"No, but I always wanted to go… It must be wonderful there, all the little cafés, Notre Dame, the Champs Élyseés, the Eiffel Tower… Have you been up there? I hear you have a beautiful view over Paris," Grace said dreamily. She knew she'd probably never see Europe again once she was married to Craig Stiles.

"Yes, I've been up there. I wish I could have taken you with me, Grace. If I'd known Gale had arranged this marriage with Stiles, I…."

"Don't," she whispered, leaning into him and closing her eyes. "It's not your fault, Patrick. Please don't make this harder than it already is."

"Grace!" a voice called. It was Craig, standing between the French doors that lead into the private saloon, smiling in a friendly way. "I've been looking for you. We're supposed to meet my father at dinner. I have something for you first, though."

Grace stepped away from Jane, who was watching the other mean closely. Craig pulled a short pearl necklace out of his pocket, showing it to her. She gasped loudly. "It's another engagement present," the man explained and stepped behind her to put it around her throat.

"Thank you," the redhead whispered, her voice thick with emotion. The pearls were pretty but cold on her skin. Also, it was tight and much heavier than the other pearl necklaces she owned. Maybe it reflected her relationship with Craig at this point – pretty on the outside, but heavy as a burden which gave her trouble breathing on the inside.

She accepted Craig's arm, turning around before they left the room. "Are you coming, Patrick?"

"I'll be there in a minute." He watched them go, feeling powerless and weak. Grace was unhappy, really unhappy. If the young Mr. Stiles continued to pressure her like this, it wouldn't be long until she did something incredibly stupid.

He'd seen the look Craig had given him when he'd put the necklace around his sister's throat. It was a reminder, probably with best greetings from Bret Stiles, who wanted him to give the emerald necklace to Lorelei. How dare the man to use Grace to pressure him like this.

Carefully, Jane pulled the flat case out of his suit pocket and opened it to stare at the tear-shaped stone inside. Suddenly he realized it was time to do something. He wouldn't let his little sister do anything she didn't want to. He would talk to her tomorrow and make her tell him the truth.

Jane sensed a pair of eyes on him. He shut the case quickly before none other than Lorelei entered the room. "Hello, Patrick. What are you hiding there?"

"Nothing," he smiled, putting the case back into the inside pocket of his jacket. It was time to let his charm shine. "I believe we're late for dinner, Miss Stiles."

"Please, I asked you to call me Lorelei. I was waiting for you at the dining room, but you weren't there, so I came here to check on you."

_Liar_, Jane thought but didn't say anything. _You were hoping for me to give you the necklace._ Instead, he offered her his arm and escorted her out of the suite toward the crowded dining room.

* * *

Dining in a room full of rich people, where men only talked about money and women only talked about gossip, was always the same, no matter whether you were in London, Paris, New York, or on a ship. Patrick Jane despised it and didn't give a damn. The only interesting man he'd met so far was a rich young guy named Walter Mashburn who liked to show off but had a nice sense of humor. He'd made money at the New York Stock Exchange and was what others called nouveau riche.

Mashburn was a ladies man, a charming liar, and a womanizer, not stopped by anything or anyone. He was sitting at their table too, right next to Jane and opposite someone named Ray Haffner, the right hand of Mr. Bret Stiles. Also, a woman named Erica Flynn had joined their table. She was a rich widow who was looking for a new start in the U.S.

Jane had read about her husband's death in a newspaper and he was sure she'd killed him, but it wasn't his business. The way she batted her eyes suggestively at Walter indicated she didn't care a lot about her late husband.

The food might have been delicious, but to Grace everything tasted the same. She saw her brother's eyes resting on her from time to time and forced herself to fake a smile.

"The preparations for the wedding are almost finished," Craig explained. "It'll be shortly after we arrive in New York."

"Oh, I expect it will be the social event of the season," Erica smiled,. "Are you going to be maid of honor, Lorelei?"

"I guess I don't have any choice," the woman answered jokingly, but Grace knew exactly what she was thinking. She wished she would be never left in a room alone with Lorelei, because it seemed like the dark-haired woman couldn't wait to scratch her eyes out.

"Oh, it must be wonderful to marry into such a notable family. I remember when I married John, it was pure heaven. Of course it got a little complicated when he started to have his little whores and thought I wouldn't realize what he was doing, but he was such a good man."

Grace had a hard time keeping her face straight. Was this woman serious? She was talking about things like this as if she were talking about the weather! Lorelei laughed cheerfully, taking a sip of champagne.

_Would it be like this?_ Grace asked herself. Would Craig start betraying her by having a string of mistresses once he got bored with her? He didn't love her, there wasn't any spark between them. It wasn't like one of these loves she'd read about in Jane Austen's books.

No, she'd spend her life with a man she didn't love, would have his children, live in New York, in the same house with the old Mr. Stiles and probably Lorelei, able to see her family only when they came to visit her. She didn't want that, she realized. She didn't want to be one of those wives who were supposed to shut up and smile!

"Grace, dear, are you all right?" Craig asked when she dropped her fork onto the plate, her face shocked and pale.

"I'm not feeling well…. I think I should lie down and rest a little." She stood up quickly, flinching when the other men at the table rose as well. "I'm sorry, gentlemen. Enjoy your evening."

"It's the sea," Craig explained, sounding a little annoyed, "People who have never been on a ship tend to get sick quite often. I'm sure she will be fine tomorrow." Everyone at the table nodded, except for Jane, who was staring after his sister with concern in his eyes.

He'd seen her face become pure horror before she'd dropped the fork, like a realization had settled in. Maybe he should go after her.

"Excuse me, gentlemen, but I want to go and look after my sister." He put the napkin on the table and rose.

"She just needs some rest. She's seasick," Lorelei intervened. Craig agreed with a nod.

"She's still my sister and if her future husband doesn't show any solicitude, I guess I have to. If you'll excuse me now…." Jane left the table, ignoring an angry look from Craig, who'd been embarrassed in front of the whole party. He hoped he'd find her in her room.

* * *

"Damn it," Lisbon mumbled, while she kept staring at the dark sky, "I never thought I'd get seasick on a ship like this."

"Still not better?" Rigsby asked, concerned. She hadn't eaten anything at dinner because she felt sick, so he'd grabbed what he could and asked Cho to bring some leftovers to his room while he escorted his friend outside onto the deck.

First they'd walked around a little and ended up at the stern, where they'd settled down on two benches in the shadows, watching the end of the dawn and the night settling in over the sea. In less than half an hour, the sky was black as velvet, the stars and the moon the only natural light around them.

"It's a little better I guess…."

They raised their heads when they heard the clicking sound of shoes on the wooden deck, followed by something that sounded like a sob, quickly rushing past them toward the end of the ship.

"What the hell was that?" Rigsby asked, but Teresa was already on her way to follow the person.

"I don't know, but I think we'd better to check what's going on."

* * *

Grace hadn't seen the two figures in the darkness when she ran across the third class promenade on the poop deck, quickly rushing up the stairs to the stern of the ship, only stopping when her shaking body hit the railing.

She couldn't breathe, everything was just so back-breaking – her corset, the dress, the pearls…. Angrily, she ripped off the necklace, watching the pearls fall on the deck, wildly rolling around. Some of them fell into the sea, like little white shimmering drops, before they vanished in the complete darkness, never to be seen again.

She wanted to be one of those pearls and just vanish from here. Nobody would miss her, nobody would care…. Yes, she'd always been taught to obey, to be a lady, but she couldn't handle this anymore, it was just too much. Perhaps she should just end it all….

Grace swallowed and gripped the railing. Her dress was too long and making it difficult to climb the railing, but she managed.

The wind was ice cold, the water underneath her a mix of black and white, disturbed by the propellers. Her head was rushing with adrenalin – she'd just have to jump. One little step and everything would be over.

"Don't do it," a voice behind her said, concerned. Grace flinched and grabbed the railing tight so she could take a look back. A man and a woman, judging by their clothes probably from third class, approached her slowly.

"Don't get any closer! Or I'll let go," she threatened, which made them stop. "Go away! Leave me alone."

"I don't think we can, Miss," Rigsby said. "Please, come back here, let us help you. Whatever it is, it's going to be okay."

"You don't know anything," Grace cried. New tears started to stream down her face, while her grip on the railing hardened.

"No, we don't. But we would like to know why a young woman like you feels the urge to jump down there." Teresa stepped a little closer. "You know now that you're our responsibility, I think I have no other choice than jumping with you. I'm Teresa by the way." She nodded toward Rigsby, who gave her a stern look.

"You're crazy!" Grace said, watching in horror as the small woman climbed over the railing and took the same position as hers.

"With all due respect, Miss, we're not the ones who want to jump. You're making us," Rigsby explained carefully.

The redhead shook her head in confusion. "No…. No, I'm not making anyone do anything! People are making me do what I don't want to do! They are pushing me around, making decisions for me…. I can't go on like this. You don't know what it's like to have no choice!"

"Maybe I don't. But I know what it's like to make life-altering decisions with no turning back, you know," Lisbon said. "My mother died when I was twelve, leaving me, my dad, and my three younger brothers. My dad turned to alcohol and became abusive. He always beat the crap out of me, because I reminded him too much of my mother."

Grace stared at her in shock.

"Well four years ago, my dad managed to kill himself and nearly killed me and my brothers too in the act. I worked three years to get enough money to send my brothers on a ship over to America, so they could stay with my uncle and his wife, so they wouldn't be alone anymore. Wayne over there helped me a little. James, Henry, and Tommy are 19, 17, and 13 now… and they are waiting for me to come too, so the family can be reunited again. Well, I guess that's not going to happen."

"Why?" Grace asked, stunned by the woman's story. She didn't look much older than 21, maybe 22, so she must have raised her little brothers all by herself, not to mention dealing with an abusive father.

"Well, because you're going to jump, aren't you?" Teresa looked down into the dark water, shivering. "We won't be killed when we hit the water. I think it's going to hurt, but it won't kill us. But the water is cold at this time of the year."

"How cold?" Grace mumbled uncertainly.

"Pretty cold. Maybe a few degrees above freezing. But who cares? It won't take more than a few minutes for us to drown then, when our bodies get sleepy. Let's jump on three, okay? One…Two…Th—"

"Wait!" Grace screamed, her voice full of panic, "No, no, wait, I…I don't want you to jump. Please…I won't jump myself, I didn't want to anyway…. Just please go back on the deck."

Wayne let out a relieved sigh, giving Lisbon a big smile.

She also smiled, stepping a little closer to Grace so their hands were touching and they were standing next to each other. "You first."

They turned around. Thankfully, Grace took Rigsby's hand, shyly smiling at him. "I'm Wayne Rigsby."

"I'm… Grace Bertram."

"Hello Grace. Come on, I got you," he whispered.

The redhead nodded and lift a foot to climb back over the railing. Her long dress got caught between the shoe and the metal though, so when she tried to push herself up, she slipped. Everything happened too fast from that point. Rigsby watched in horror as Grace fell, trying to get a hold on something. One of her hands caught Teresa's arm, but the force pulled her down so quickly, there was no chance to hold herself.

Lisbon let go of the railing, grabbing for Grace's hand just as Grace tried to get a grip on her arm. She lost her balance and fell backwards. Grace screamed loudly when she saw Lisbon fall, but somehow the brunette managed to get a grip on her dress.

"Help!" Grace screamed, her voice full of panic. "Help!"

Rigsby was trying to stabilize his stance, because the two women dangling on the other side of the railing were too heavy for one man to pull up.

"Rigsby!" Lisbon called now. It was just then that they heard a ripping sound coming from Grace's dress. "Pull us up!"

"Don't let us fall!" Grace yelled, frightened. "Please don't let us fall."

"I got you!" The question was just how long. Either Grace's dress ripped, or his muscles weakened, and she would just glide out of his hand.

* * *

Jane was nervous. Grace wasn't in her suite. Where would she go? He was just looking for her on the first class promenade on the A-deck, when an elderly couple came along, walking with their dog.

"Excuse me, have you seen a young woman in a blue dress? Red hair?" he asked.

"Oh yes! That rude girl almost ran over my little Puffy here! My poor baby!"

Jane's eyes lit up. "Where did she go?"

"Toward the stern, young man! If you see her tell her I want a formal apology for stumbling over my dog!" But Jane was already out of ear shot.

He ran. Ran as fast as he could, hating all the doors and stairs that separated the areas of the first, second, and third class, because they took him too much time. He should have known Grace was about to do something very stupid. Hopefully it wasn't too late.

Just when he crossed the poop deck, he heard screams coming from the stern. "Grace!" he called, rushing toward the person leaning over the railing, desperately trying to pull something up.

"Oh my god!" he yelled, grabbing for the hands the stranger was holding. "Pull!"

They pulled and got her higher up, the sound of another ripping coming from farther down.

"The dress is ripping, I can't hold on any longer!" Lisbon screamed. Jane watched in horror as he saw the second, much smaller figure dangling under Grace.

"Pull!" Jane breathed heavily. Finally, Grace's upper body was almost over the railing, when another ripping came from her dress.

"No!" the redhead cried, feeling no more weight pulling her down.

"Help!" Lisbon screamed. She'd managed to get a grip on the lowest iron pole on the railing, but was still dangerously close to falling into the ocean.

Jane immediately let go of Grace, who was pulled over the railing by Rigsby in one swift move, both of them falling to the deck.

"Take my hand!" Jane said, leaning as far over the railing as possible.

"I can't," Lisbon gasped, "I can't hold myself anymore…" Just when she felt her hand starting to weaken, two strong hands grabbed her lower arm.

"I got you. I won't let go, but you have to let go of the railing."

"I can't!"

"Trust me," he pleaded, and Lisbon bravely let go of the railing. Jane pulled her up, never loosening his grip on her. Gasping, they fell on the ground, hearts pounding. Her head rested on his chest, while his grip around her waist hadn't loosened a bit.

"I got you," he repeated over and over again. "It's okay. You're safe." Finally, both looked up, suddenly realizing who the other one was.

"You?!"

* * *

A/N: Phew thank god everyone is safe! I really hope you enjoyed the little angst in here :) So if you liked it, I'd love to hear what you think :)  
Thanks to the wonderful Idan for betaing this chapter by the way! Go and check out her tag for last Sunday's episode if you haven't read it yet.

Thanks everyone for reading


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Happy Easter everyone! I hope you enjoy the holiday and kill all the delicious chocolate bunnies you got ;)

Thanks so much for your response to the last chapter! I wanna hug every single one of you! I hope the new one can satisfy your expectations!

Thanks to Idan for betaing :)

Have fun!

* * *

(3)

"_Take my hand!" Jane said, leaning as far over the railing as possible. _

"_I can't," Lisbon gasped, "I can't hold myself anymore…" Just when she felt her hand starting to weaken, two strong hands grabbed her lower arm. _

"_I got you. I won't let go, but you have to let go of the railing."_

"_I can't!"_

"_Trust me," he pleaded and Lisbon bravely let go of the railing. Jane pulled her up, never loosening his grip on her. Gasping, they fell on the ground, hearts pounding. Her head rested on his chest, while his grip around her waist hadn't loosened a bit. _

"_I got you," he repeated over and over again. "It's okay. You're safe." Finally, both looked up, suddenly realizing who the other one was._

"You?!" they both exclaimed at the same time, stunned to recognize each other from their encounter this morning.

"Well, this is the second time you've brought me down with full force today," Jane smirked breathlessly. She wasn't heavy on top of him. Also, he didn't realize he was still holding her tight, the adrenalin rushing through their veins, hearts pounding like they'd just completed a marathon.

"I punched you because you illegally won my tickets!"

"Meh. I gave them to you in the end, didn't I? I told you, you could have just asked for them. There's no need for so much violence."

She shifted uncomfortably, and he loosened his grip around her waist. Lisbon raised her upper body, still pinning Jane down with her legs on both sides. If the situation had been different, this pose would have looked slightly erotic, but neither of them was about to go there.

"You rich guys are all the same!"

"Well, I'm not sure if they are. Most of them are sitting in the dining room smoking a cigar and drinking brandy while I am right here, aren't I? You'd have fallen into the sea if I hadn't been here. I saved you!"

"I didn't ask you to save me!" Teresa exclaimed vehemently.

"So then, next time I'm just supposed to let you fall into the ice cold water?"

"At least I wouldn't have to see your smart-ass face anymore," she countered.

"Usually women don't have a problem with my face, but I'll note that."

She stared down at him, stunned. Looking at him closely for the first time, she had to admit he wasn't that bad looking. The blond curls, the eyes sparkling with mischief, the fine outlines of his face...

He was handsome, she couldn't argue with that. Probably so handsome he just had to smile to wrap any woman around his little finger. Well not her, though. Lisbon had learned early not to fall for the pretty guys, because she would probably end up heartbroken.

She swallowed hard, looking directly into his eyes, which made her shiver. Her breath hitched, and her heart was still pounding so hard she thought it was going to explode.

A sob coming from their right side caught their attention, and the spell broke. "Grace!" Jane murmured, panicked.

Lisbon got off him, crawling over to the two figures on their right, holding each other tightly.

"Shhh, it's okay," Rigsby kept whispering while he stroked Grace's back.

All the screams hadn't gone unheard by the ship's crew, some of whom came running toward them, asking what had happened. They saw Grace's ripped dress and tear-stained face, jumping to conclusions easily.

"Get off her, you bastard!" one said, pulling Rigsby away from the crying woman.

Jane, who was concerned about his sister, took his place quickly.

"Are you all right?" he asked, his voice thick with emotion. She just nodded and continued crying into his shoulder.

"Let him go, he didn't do anything!" Lisbon said as the sailors held Rigsby, who kept staring at Grace like a lost puppy.

Within moments, the deck was filled with people, more sailors and especially the men of the Stiles family, accompanied by Haffner and Mashburn.

Lisbon was still arguing with the sailors to let him go, but Rigsby didn't do anything. He just kept staring at the red-headed woman sitting on the bench, a blanket thrown around her shoulders. She was still in shock, silently crying into her brother's shoulder. Jane was sitting right next to her, blocking everything else out. The only thing that mattered was that Grace was safe.

"I can't believe something like this could happen on this ship!" Craig exclaimed when he saw his fiancée. He turned to the sailors who were holding Rigsby. "This third-class rat should be locked away so he won't harass any more of our women."

"Wayne you idiot, say something!" Lisbon yelled at him, but she was held back by one of the other sailors.

"Shut up, woman!" one of them said, raising a hand to cover her mouth.

Lisbon bit him on the finger, stumbling on the deck when the sailor pushed her away. "Why you bitch! She bit me! She bit me!"

"Blondie over there can tell you this is not true! And Grace! Grace, listen to me, you have to tell them! Argh!" The sailor she'd bitten pulled her back up by her hair, which hurt a lot.

Finally Jane and Grace looked up, only then realizing her saviors were about to get arrested for helping her.

"Wait... Wait she is right! I... It was all my fault!" Grace explained, standing up. "Please let her go." Once again, the sailor holding Lisbon by her hair shoved her forward, so she fell on her knees. Jane stood up, shooting the sailor—whose name turned out to be T. McAllister—a disdainful look. He stepped toward Teresa, giving her a hand to help her stand up, but she refused, meeting his eyes with an angry expression

"What are you talking about, child?" Bret Stiles asked Grace.

"I..." Everyone could see she was looking for an explanation. "I felt sick, that's why I left the dining room. I thought a little fresh air would be good for me, but then I... puked over the railing." She blushed deeply, feeling a little embarrassed. "Then I leaned over too far because I didn't want to ruin my dress and then I slipped and suddenly I fell. Mr. Rigsby here was so nice and saved me with the help of Teresa. Without them, I'd be dead."

"I was there, I saw it," Jane finally agreed, shooting Lisbon a meaningful look. "They saved my sister."

"Are you serious, Grace?" Craig asked, stunned. "I told you to go back to your room. If you'd listened to me, none of this would have happened." He rolled his eyes in annoyance, like he had expected something like this. "You're so clumsy, Grace. Well, Mr. Rigsby, I guess I have to thank you for saving my fiancée then."

He pulled out a bundle of notes, tucking a twenty into Rigsby's pocket. It was Jane who asked: "A twenty, really? Is that the price for the woman you love?"

Grace looked up, seeing the staring contest between her brother and her fiancé. Her gaze went to Rigsby. She was surprised to find he was still looking at her with such a worried but caring expression, it made her blush a little. He'd saved her. Wayne Rigsby was her savior. The sudden urge to hug him overcame her, and for a second it looked like he was doing the same, but with all the people watching it would be inappropriate.

"He did save me, Craig…." she whispered. Wayne gave her a loving smile, which made her blush even more.

Finally Craig gave in. "Well, what would you suggest is appropriate, Mr. Jane?"

"The two are heroes. How about you give them the chance to present themselves like that? You could invite them to join us for dinner perhaps. I think that's the least you can do."

They could all see Craig was debating \the idea of having two third-class rats, as he called them, join their first class dinner. What would people think when they saw these dirty people sitting on their fancy chairs?

In the end it was his father who answered, "Of course the lady and gentleman will be joining us for dinner tomorrow night. Come along then, gentlemen, we still have to finish our game. Craig, escort your fiancée to her room and tell your sister to take care of her."

Craig nodded and escorted Grace out of the crowd. The others joined them, except for Jane and Mashburn, who snipped the cigarette stub into the ocean, leaning casually against the railing.

"I'm just wondering… how did her dress rip like that, when you were just pulling her away from the railing? Also, what happened to her pearl necklace?" Mashburn kicked a white pearl he'd found rolling toward them on the deck. "So which of you wants to tell me what really happened here?" he asked, his eyes wandering from Lisbon to Rigsby.

"Nothing you have to worry your head about, Walter," Jane smiled, waving for him to go, but the other man wasn't satisfied with the answer. "Please, just let it go."

Jane threw Lisbon and Rigsby a concerned look before he ushered Mashburn back to the Poop deck, from where they had access to the second and then first class deck. "Thank you for saving my sister. I'll see you tomorrow for dinner then."

They watched both men leave, before Lisbon hit her friend hard on the shoulder. "Ouch! What was that for?!"

"Stop acting like a lovesick puppy, you idiot! It's making me feel sick."

"Do you think she is going to be okay?" he asked nervously.

"I hope so. Thanks for your concern. I'm fine too by the way, since I was the one who almost landed in the water—would have if Wonder Boy hadn't appeared."

This time Rigsby looked up, a hint of mischief sparkling in his eyes. "You like him."

"I do not!" she denied. "He's an arrogant smartass, a cheater, a…."

"He saved your life, Teresa. And he got us a nice dinner in the first class dining room tomorrow." They walked back toward their deck and down into the hallway where their room was located.

"Wayne, don't get your hopes up. She's going to marry the rude guy. He was her fiancé. I don't want you to get hurt like you did with Sarah."

"She doesn't love him, I could see it. He doesn't love her either."

Lisbon shook her head as she pushed the door to their dark cabin open. "They are out of our league, Romeo. She's not going to fall for a man like you, because rich people are stubborn, close-minded, and unhappy."

She switched the light on, disturbing Cho, who seemed to have been sleeping already. "You had an encounter with the first class?" he asked. "Sounds interesting."

"Apart from the fact that I almost went overboard and the sailors wanted to arrest us for helping a girl to not jump off the ship, it was totally fine," Lisbon answered sarcastically, before she climbed up the steps and fell into the bed.

Cho and Rigsby exchanged looks, which said something like "I'll tell you tomorrow."

* * *

The next day, a woman named Kim Fischer joined the Titanic when it made its last stop in Queenstown before crossing the Atlantic Ocean on a course to New York City. She was in her mid thirties, wealthy, and travelled alone, apart from the fact she had a simply dressed black woman with her, who shared her suite in first class.

For the other first class passengers, it was a no-go. People were whispering, making up the craziest stories about who this woman was and why she was had a black woman with her.

Those who found the courage to ask were told that the black woman, named Madeleine Hightower, was her best friend. So why should she be living in any less luxury than others?

She didn't make a secret of her opinion that black and white people should be treated equally, for which some of the passengers looked at her in silent admiration or obvious disdain.

That's why she was surprised when two men, one blond, the other one dark haired, asked to join her table for lunch, obviously interested in the things she had to say and stories she had to tell.

"I'm Patrick Jane, this is Walter Mashburn," the blond man introduced them to Kim Fischer and Madeleine Hightower. Walter even bowed and gave Miss Fischer a formal kiss on the hand, which made Jane smirk. He could tell his friend had the hots for the strong woman.

"Enchanted, Miss Fischer."

Within moments, the four engaged in a spirited conversation about different cultures and experiences they collected in other countries. Soon they found out that Kim grew up in British colonies in South Africa and India, because her father invested huge amounts of money in the trade with cargos from the colonies and travelled a lot.

"It's not very common for a woman to have seen so much of the world," Mashburn said, impressed.

"Maybe I'm not a common woman, Mr. Mashburn," she answered with a smile. Jane felt this was the moment where his friend got lost in the tales of the witty woman named Kim Fischer. He just hoped she wouldn't break his friend's heart, because she didn't look like she was interested in _more_.

While the two of them were engaged in a discussion about hunting animals for ivory, Jane turned to Madeleine Hightower, who'd been sitting on her chair and watching the conversation silently, throwing in a few suggestions from time to time.

"How did the two of you meet, Miss Hightower?" Jane asked curiously.

She raised an eyebrow at him before she took a sip of her tea. It was probably the first time someone had talked directly to her since she boarded the ship.

"Why would you like to know about it?" she asked. Her accent was not very strong. Quite the contrary, she sounded very British and even acted like she grew up in a quite Western society.

"I'm just interested, Miss, that's all. Blood is thicker than water, isn't it?"

Hightower's eyes widened at his casual remark, which told Jane he'd hit the mark. So the two of them weren't just best friends, they were siblings. This explained why her skin was a little lighter and browner than that of the dark black people he'd seen when he went to Africa six years ago. What an interesting development.

"I'm sorry, Mister, I don't know what you're talking about," the woman said defensively.

"It's nothing to worry about, Miss Hightower. Your secret is safe with me."

* * *

Later that day, Jane was waiting on the deck of the first class promenade hoping the woman in question would finally show up. He'd sent someone to get her almost forty-five minutes ago. Either she hadn't gotten the message yet, or she was letting him wait on purpose.

It was probably the latter. Sighing, he leaned against the railing, hoping for his sister's savior to show up soon. Well, of course it had been Mr. Rigsby who'd saved her in the end, but from what he could tell, this woman named Teresa Lisbon – Grace had told him the names this morning – must have climbed over the railing to encourage Grace to come back on board.

He figured they must have slipped somehow, otherwise she wouldn't have ended up dangling from Grace's dress, about to fall into the ocean. To his disapproval, Grace hadn't said anything when he'd asked her to tell him what happened. Of course he knew she'd wanted to jump, that much he could tell, but he wanted to know why, so he could prevent other incidents.

After five more minutes, he debated going looking for Lisbon, but just when he turned around, he could see the petite woman walking toward him, giving him an annoyed look. She didn't feel comfortable at all in the light blue, simple dress she was wearing, which looked so different from the clothes she'd been wearing the day before.

"Miss Lisbon," he greeted her, smiling when she stopped a few feet in front of him.

"You wanted to talk to me?" she asked, now sounding a little nervous.

"I did. I see you dressed up?"

"I didn't dress up for you, if that's what you wanted to hear. The ship's employees wouldn't let me through the way I was dressed, so I had to go back down and change. You know, next time you want something, you could just come down and ask me yourself, Mister." He waited until she finished venting, having a hard time hiding his slime. She was just adorable when she was annoyed, with her sparkling eyes, her furrowed brows, and pouting lips.

"I am very sorry, Miss Lisbon. I'll remember to come and look for you myself next time."

"If there ever is a next time," she mumbled.

"Only if you want there to be. Would you like to go for a walk?" Lisbon raised an eyebrow but nodded, so they ambled along the promenade in comfortable silence until they arrived at the end of the deck.

"I wanted to thank you and your friend for saving my sister yesterday and apologize for the sailors' rude behavior. Grace would have jumped if it hadn't been for you." He'd decided to pretend Grace had told him the whole story, so it would be easier to get more information out of her.

"Your sister is a very unhappy woman, Mr. Jane, but she wouldn't have jumped. She's too proud and caught up in what other people think of her, so she would have climbed back eventually," Lisbon explained. She still felt a little sorry for the red-headed woman, because she'd always thought being rich was easy, since you had everything. Well, it didn't seem like Grace Bertram had everything she wanted.

"Still, you were there to save her, which I'm very grateful for. You're a very brave woman, Miss Lisbon. Although I suggest it would have been easier for your pride if I hadn't had to save you too."

Lisbon blushed slightly and turned away. "You're really asking for another punch on the nose, aren't you, Mr. Jane?"

"A feisty one, aren't we?" he countered, grinning. "And to be honest, I'd rather not have my face in contact with your fist again any time soon." Jane leaned forward and reached for her ear.

"What the hell?" she shrieked, flinching back, but he laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Wait, there is something…." She let him reach and was surprised when she suddenly saw an orchid blossom in his hand. "Oh look."

"What are you, some kind of magician? Do you really think you can get into my good graces with cheap tricks?"

Jane just grinned, holding the blossom toward her. "I don't know, can I?"

Lisbon had a hard time focusing on the flower in his hand rather than his dazzling smile. She couldn't show any weakness; she was still angry and annoyed with him. At least that's what she tried to tell herself.

"It's a start." Finally, she brought up the courage to take the blossom out of his hand and put it away in a little pocket, which was dangling from the waist of her dress. "Thank you. What else can you do, Wonder Boy?"

Jane laughed, leaning against the railing. "Actually, I learned all these magic tricks from my father when he was still with us. He used to call me Boy Wonder. Hmm… what else can I do? Oh!"

He made a fist and opened it again, a necklace with a cross dangling from his index finger.

Lisbon gasped, a hand going to her throat, but her necklace was gone. "How did you do that?"

"Magic," he answered mysteriously, before he casually threw it off the ship. Lisbon screamed when she saw something hit the surface of the water, vanishing into the blue immediately.

"You idiot," she yelled furiously, "how could you throw my necklace away? It's the last thing I have from my mother!"

Angrily, she blinked away her tears, her hand reaching out to slap Jane, but he caught it, pulling her toward him so she stumbled and landed in his arms.

"Shh, woman! Calm down. Check your pocket," he whispered.

With shaking hands, she pulled away and opened her little pockets, surprised to find her necklace with the cross right next to the orchid blossom. Speechless, her eyes wandered from the pocket back to Jane and back to the pocket. "But you threw it off the ship! I saw it fall, how did you…."

"You only saw it fall because you expected to see it fall."

"You're crazy," she grumbled angrily before she pulled the necklace out and put it around her neck. "Don't ever do that again."

"I'm sorry I scared you. I didn't know it was your mother's. She died?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Lisbon mumbled defensively.

"You don't have to."

Lisbon didn't answer; her attention was drawn to a tall, dark-haired crew member who had about five dogs of different sizes in each hand, desperately trying to hold them back. The leashes got tangled up and one of the puppies broke free.

The little puppy barked, happy to be free, and ran directly toward Jane and Lisbon, who bent down to stop him from jumping up their legs.

"Oh aren't you a cutie!" Lisbon exclaimed, patting the puppy's head.

"It seems like he likes you." She looked over to Jane and gave him a short smile, before she turned her gaze back to the puppy, which started licking her hand. "You know they say dogs can see right through a person. One look at you and they know what kind of human you are."

"Excuse me, Miss," the crew member apologized when he finally managed to get a hold of the dogs, which were running around his legs, almost making him stumble over their leashes. "The little rat ran off."

"He's not a rat," Lisbon defended the dog, before she stood up and handed him the leash. "He just wanted to say hello."

"Well, I have to take him out for a walk on the Poop deck, before I have to return them to their owners. Thanks for stopping him."

They watched the man being pulled away by the dogs before Teresa shook her head in disbelief. "Guess now I know why they call the third class deck 'Poop deck.'"

High-pitched laughter on their left made them turn around. Lorelei, Erica, and a woman named Krystal Markham were walking toward them, each one perfectly presented in a pretty dress, white gloves, and a grand hat.

For some reason, Jane felt the urge to shield Lisbon from the three women, but just when he wanted to pull her behind him, she stepped forward and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I'm sorry, I didn't get what you just said."

Lorelei laughed again, stepping forward a little. "Hello Patrick, I was hoping to meet you here, but I see you're with the third class scum. I didn't know they let rats on out deck now."

"Watch your language, Lorelei," Jane responded stiffly, laying a hand on Lisbon's waist because she seemed dangerously close to jumping on the tall woman.

"To each his own. Now, you were wondering why our dogs get to have a walk on your deck," she said, turning to Lisbon. "It's because you're living in the dirt holes of this ship and we just want to give you a little taste of the fancy shit – literally."

The three women laughed coolly. "Enough, Lorelei! Stop this unflattering behavior. Come on, Teresa…"

"No," Lisbon said, shoving off his hand. She turned toward Lorelei, who raised an eyebrow. "Shit is shit whether it's fancy or not. Speaking of bad smells, if I were you I wouldn't overdo the perfume so much. I can't decide whether it's you or the sewage. Bathing would help perhaps."

With this, she nodded goodbye to Jane and walked off. The others stared after her, speechless. Jane had felt like he had to protect her from the other women, but it seemed like she could handle herself very well. Even he had to swallow hard after the remark she'd just made.

And what she'd said to Lorelei was kind of true; he couldn't argue with the first part at least.

"I can't believe she just said that," Erica murmured. "She's so rude. I like your perfume, Lorelei."

"You don't smell like sewage. I use the same fragrance as you do. People like her never learned to behave properly toward their betters. Just don't take it personally, Lorelei," Krystal added in a comforting tone.

"I will talk to my father about this. This woman will _not _be sitting at the same table as me tonight. I can't believe you invited people like her to our dinner, Patrick! She doesn't have any manners!" Lorelei hissed, unable to get herself under control.

"The only one with no manners here is yourself, Lorelei. You started it," Jane answered, satisfied, before he nodded goodbye to the women and vanished into the ship's interior.

* * *

Lisbon was walking down the stairs down to a lower deck when she heard rushing footsteps coming up behind her. "Excuse me, Miss!" a black woman said, coming to a halt when Lisbon finally turned around.

"Yes?" she asked, confused. The black woman's clothes were much too fancy for her to belong in third class.

"I accidentally overheard your conversation with Mr. Jane and the other women. I liked how you countered Miss Stiles' rude behavior."

"Thank you," Lisbon answered, surprised.

"I also know you're invited for dinner in the first class restaurant tonight… Is this the dress you're going to wear?"

Teresa looked down, hands sweeping over the fabric of her dress. "I… I don't know, I guess…."

The black woman smiled. "Well, wouldn't it be nice to steal the show from the ladies who think they're so much better than you are?"

Slowly Lisbon realized what the woman was suggesting. She felt a little insecure, as always when a stranger offered her help, but finally, she really wanted to get one over on Lorelei and her friends, so she agreed to meet Madeleine again two hours before dinner started. And yes, she could bring her friend who needed a suit, too.

* * *

A/N: More characters, yay! I hope you all liked the way how I introduced Fischer and Hightower to you. We'll have a bit more fun with them later on! Did you like the way sassy Lisbon put a stop to Lorelei's stupid remarks? I'd love to hear your opinion on this chapter!

Liefs Eva


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hey there guys! Finally the new chapter :) Thanks everyone for their reviews, I'm so overwhelmed and happy you like this story so much :)  
I'm apologizing for the delay, but university got in my way and probably will be until the summer. But I'll try to post once a week! Now enjoy :)

* * *

(4)

Dinner was served at seven o'clock. The ship's bugler wandered around the decks and let the people know by sounding the traditional White Star Line meal call.

The dining room filled slowly with the first class guests. Patrick Jane and Walter Mashburn were waiting at the end of the opulent wide staircase, where all the first class passengers walked down from their private suites to the dining area.

Lorelei was the first to arrive, accompanied by her friend Erica Flynn, both perfectly styled. Mashburn, always the gentleman, bowed in front of the ladies and gave each one of them a hand kiss. "You look very lovely tonight, ladies."

"Thank you, Mr. Mashburn," Lorelei answered with a sly smile before she looked at Jane, who only nodded in approval. Lorelei had a perfect shining outer appearance; too bad her inside was black and rotten as the night.

"Patrick, why don't you escort me to our table?" she asked, smiling and stepping closer to him so he could offer her his arm.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Lorelei, but I'm waiting for someone." Her face fell for a second before she shrugged it off and turned toward Mashburn.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Miss Stiles, but I'm also waiting for someone."

Lorelei scowled before she walked off with Erica, shooting both of the gentlemen angry looks.

"You're waiting for someone?" Jane asked, surprised. The dark haired man just shrugged, grinning.

"I'm sure this was the first time in her life Lorelei didn't get what she wants. You have to be careful, my friend. She's like a lion, waiting for its prey to make a move."

His attention was drawn to the top of the stairs, where Grace emerged with Craig. She had her eyes down, forcing a fake smile on her lips. Jane felt immediately sorry for her because he knew she hated him. Well, hate was a strong word… she disliked him, perhaps that would fit better.

The man himself looked a little annoyed, but Jane guessed it was because his father had given him a lecture earlier about how to treat his fiancée. They greeted each other with a short smile before Craig continued to escort Grace into the dining room.

The next one was Wayne Rigsby. To Jane's and Mashburn's surprise, he wore a fine black suit, which only seemed to be a little bit too short in the trousers. Otherwise he looked very tarted up, with his side parting and the suit.

"Did you lend him one of your suits, Patrick?" Mashburn asked, surprised, but Jane had to shake his head. He had no idea where the man had gotten the suit from, because it was expensive material and didn't look like something a man like him would own. Especially because it was a little bit too small.

"I have no idea… but it looks fine."

"Gentlemen," Rigsby said when he reached the end of the stairs. Now they could see he was more than nervous and had a hard time keeping it together.

"Mr. Rigsby, I'm so glad you decided to join us," Jane grinned, shaking the other man's hand. "I'm afraid you just missed my sister. She's already inside, but if you hurry, you may have a chance to sit next to her."

He watched the other man's face fall at the mention of Grace, but the promise of maybe getting seated next to her cheered him up immediately. "So…can I just go inside, or do I need a password or something?"

Mashburn laughed. "You can just go, I'm sure they won't stop you after the way you cleaned up."

The man nodded a thank you before he turned around and moved off. "Wait," Jane called suddenly. "Is Teresa not coming?"

Rigsby gave him a smile. "She'll be here any minute, Mr. Jane."

Relief flooded the blond man, because until now he hadn't been sure if she would come after the little encounter with Lorelei this afternoon. Teresa had a loose mouth – which he liked – but he was afraid it would get her in trouble sometime.

A silent whistle from Mashburn made him look up. He saw Kim Fischer and Madeleine Hightower walking down the stairs, both wearing pretty dresses. Mashburn's eyes lit up immediately. So he hadn't been wrong about his friend having a crush on Miss Fischer after all.

The dark haired man stepped forward, greeting both women with a hand kiss. "You look especially beautiful tonight, my ladies," he grinned. "May I escort you to your table?"

"Of course, Mr. Mashburn," Kim smiled, before she and her black friend each took an arm of the billionaire and were escorted into the dining room. Walter didn't have any problems with shooting everyone who raised an eyebrow at him escorting the two infamous ladies a disdainful look.

Just then, Jane's attention was drawn back up the stairs. Teresa emerged from the left, walking down the first part of the staircase with her eyes glued to the floor. He could see she was scared of tripping over the incredible bright red and black dress she was wearing. It was a very modern cut with a v-neck, tight around her décolleté and loosened in the waist, falling in a straight line. Her hair was put up halfway with a comb and the orchid blossom he gave her earlier. It fell on her right shoulder in soft chocolate brown curls, little diamond earrings sparkling in her ears.

Jane was speechless. She looked so different from when he'd first seen her, with her boyish look, the trousers and big coat; only the annoyed expression on her face when she came to a halt in the middle of the staircase to look for him reminded him of the "old" Teresa Lisbon.

Finally, she saw him, cracked a smile, and went to the banister to have something to hold onto in case she tripped. Relief flooded her face once she stepped off the last stair.

"What?" she asked uncertainly. "Do I have something on my face?"

Jane shook his head, still taking in the shining sight of her in the yellow glow of the lighting. "No, no… look at you."

"Oh please don't start," she mumbled, blushing and trying to look away.

"I don't start. You look beautiful, Teresa."

Lisbon tried to hide behind a raised eyebrow and a questioning look. Were they on a first name basis now? She took a deep breath. "Well thank you, _Mr. Jane_. That's very nice of you. You didn't clean up too bad yourself."

"Such a compliment from a lady like you. I feel honored."

"Oh shut up and let's get to the dinner stuff, I'm actually really hungry. I hope you have real food and not just canapés." Jane grinned at her before he offered her his arm, leading her into the grand dining area, where almost every seat was taken.

* * *

They arrived at a long oval table with eleven chairs, nine of which were taken. The only ones that were still unoccupied were one between Rigsby and Mr. Mashburn and one on the other side of the table between Mr. Stiles and Lorelei.

Teresa was glad to be seated between Mashburn and her friend, because after the look Lorelei shot her when they approached the table, she was sure the woman would have no problem with throwing her overboard and making it look like an accident.

Jane, being all gentleman, pulled her chair back and helped her to settle down. She shot Grace, who was sitting right next to Mashburn with Craig Stiles on the other side, a quick smile before she watched Jane take the seat opposite her.

"What a pleasure for you to finally join us, Miss…" Stiles said, a little too friendly for her taste.

"Lisbon. Teresa Lisbon. Thank you for your invitation, Mr. Stiles. My friend and I feel very honored to be here."

"At least they didn't come here in their moth-eaten, dirty outfits they wore the night before," Lorelei mumbled, which made her friends Erica and Krystal laugh. Even Haffner couldn't hide a smile.

"I must compliment you, Miss Lisbon," Mashburn cut in. "You look very enchanting tonight." Jane gave his friend a quick smile, which made Lorelei scowl.

"So do you, Mr. Rigsby. You look like a real gentleman," Grace added with courage, her cheeks reddening.

"Thank you, Miss Bertram," Rigsby said proudly, his gaze never leaving hers.

The tension at the table was tangible. It got even more intense when Lorelei made a blunt comment about how Teresa and Rigsby were able to afford such expensive tickets for a ship like the Titanic.

"We didn't steal them, if that's what you're thinking!" Lisbon explained, offended.

"That's right," Jane added,. "Miss Lisbon and Mr. Rigsby won the tickets at a poker game in a pub close to the harbor… Well actually I won them, but…."

"Only because you cheated!" she said, which made him laugh.

"When did you have time to play poker, Patrick?" Lorelei asked, surprised. She didn't like the fact that Jane and Lisbon must have met before.

"Oh Patrick, please tell me you didn't cheat on this lovely lady here," Mashburn sighed. "Have you never been taught any manners?" Walter was trying to keep the conversation on a playful level, because the whole Stiles family didn't seem very amused.

"In my defense, I didn't even know they were playing for the tickets, I just thought it would be fun to mess up their game a little. I gave you the tickets back, after all. So gentlemen, if Miss Lisbon ever invites you to play cards, don't agree if you don't want to end up with empty pockets. She's a hell of a player."

"All life is a game and to me it looks like you hit the jackpot, Miss Lisbon. It's interesting to hear about your poker skill. Sounds like a challenge,." Mashburn grinned and waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Lisbon couldn't hide her smile.

"Mr. Mashburn, it's not proper to invite a lady to a game of cards," Erica Flynn cut in. She had laid an eye on Mashburn since they first met and everyone could tell she seemed a little jealous at how he was flirting with Lisbon.

"Well, I don't think she is a _lady_, so why not?" Lorelei pointed out, which made Jane's hands tighten to a fist under the table.

Suddenly Lisbon started to wave a little air toward her with her hand, sniffing carefully. "Oh, what's this lovely smell? Someone here must have taken a bath right before dinner," she murmured, surprised.

"Lorelei, I saw you taking a bath a few hours ago," Grace noted, not knowing the context of the earlier conversation between Jane, Lisbon, and the three women.

Jane started chuckling, and even Lorelei's friends Krystal and Erica couldn't hide an amused grin, which vanished once the tall brunette threw them a mad glance.

"Well that explains a lot," Teresa grinned.

The first course was served, hors d'oeuvre with oysters. Lisbon shot Jane a raised eyebrow look, because she'd asked for anything but canapés. She liked fish a lot, but she'd never had an oyster before and the slimy white thing in the shell that looked like someone had eaten it before made her want to vomit.

First, she looked for one of the - what felt like - hundred forks on the left side of her plate, before she watched how everyone took the shell in their hands and slurped the slimy oyster out of its shell. The sounds they made were rather unpleasant and sounded more like her three little brothers trying to eat very hot soup than a bunch of first class people eating an oyster.

Rigsby was the first to try the oyster… and he didn't look like he enjoyed it much. Sighing, Teresa stared at it, before she took all her courage and slurped it out of its shell. It tasted nothing but salty and slimy, and she'd have spit it out if she hadn't felt Lorelei's challenging gaze on her.

"Did you like the oyster, Miss Lisbon?" Mashburn asked after she swallowed it down, trying not to make a face.

"It was… an interesting experience, but so is this whole dinner." She kicked Rigsby's leg under the table, because he kept staring at Grace all the time and he even forgot how to eat. And if her friend forgot food over something else, it was serious, _very _serious. She had to talk to him.

"Speaking of interesting experiences, tell us about the accommodation and steerage, Mr. Rigsby. I heard they are quite good on the ship," Bret Stiles suddenly asked, not enjoying the way the man was looking at his future daughter-in-law.

Rigsby looked up, surprised the man had spoken to him, before he answered the question. "The best I've seen, Mister. Hardly any rats."

"There are rats on the ship?" Krystal squealed, her eyes widened in fear.

"Well I saw a few when I came up here. There are not as many rats on this ship as on others. Though I think this one has more of the human kind on it, right, Mr. Stiles?" This time Teresa wasn't addressing the older man, but his son, who'd called them "third-class-rats" not so long ago.

Their talk was interrupted as the staff served the next course, and their conversation went on this way. Jane was amazed how easily Teresa beat the Stiles's unfriendly remarks with her own smartness. His adoration for the petite woman grew with every second she talked, the sparkle in her green eyes never fading. He felt a little sorry, because she couldn't enjoy herself as much as he wanted her to, but this was more because of the company here than anything else.

The other guests in the dining room just assumed Lisbon and Rigsby were one of them, but Lorelei didn't miss any chance to make them feel unwelcome and like outsiders. This woman was a walking beast. He'd not really liked her before, but now he started to hate her.

Marrying her was out of the question, even if it would break Grace's heart. Who knew, maybe he _should _run off with her once they arrived in New York. Screw Bertram's plans.

Even if he couldn't offer her the wealthy life she would have with Craig, anything was better than _this_. Tomorrow he'd sit with Kim Fischer and her sister to avoid talk like this during dinner. He was sure Walter would join him, because the man had a thing for her.

* * *

Once dessert was served, people started moving away from the dining room, back to their rooms or the reception room outside of the dining room. Craig invited Haffner, Mashburn, Jane, and his father to play a round of cards, purposefully excluding Rigsby from his offer. Jane declined, and so did Mashburn, who excused himself to walk over to the table of Kim Fisher and Madeleine Hightower, which was in the back corner of the room, where the guests who complained about the black woman wouldn't feel disturbed.

"I don't know why he's always talking to that woman and her slave," Erica mumbled bitterly.

"She is _not_ a slave!" Teresa cut in. "I don't know where you grew up, but Europe abolished slavery a long time ago, and especially Britain and France have fought ever since to abolish it in their colonies! Even the United States abolished it less than 50 years ago. Just because she's black doesn't mean she's not a human being like you and me. This woman went through a lot in her life because of people thinking like you do. That is what makes her a thousand times better than the three of you ever will be. Come on, Wayne, I'm sick of this company."

She got up, leaving the three other women behind, speechless. Rigsby followed her and so did Jane and Grace, who hated the three anyway. Once they were outside on the deck, Teresa stepped over to the railing and took a deep breath, closing her eyes.

She heard someone stepping up next to her and figured it was Wayne. That was why she was surprised to see no one but Patrick Jane, who looked at her with adoration.

"I've never met anyone like you before."

Teresa sighed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get you in trouble or anything. It's just the attitude of these rich people makes me want to vomit."

"I know what you're talking about. But it's not their fault… they were raised this way. Not everyone is as independent and freethinking as you are. You're a special woman, Teresa Lisbon."

She smiled. "Still, my mother would kick my ass if she knew I treated my host this way."

"I was your host too, and you didn't treat me badly. Though you must know, not all of us are like _them_."

"I know. After I left you on the deck this afternoon, Madeleine stopped me and offered to help us with the clothes. I was surprised, but now I kind of know why she and Kim were so nice to Wayne and me…. Speaking of Wayne, where is he?"

Jane grinned. "Oh, don't worry. I think he and Grace finally get to have the talk they've been longing for the whole evening. I guess I have to thank Miss Fischer and Miss Hightower for making you look so beautiful then."

Teresa turned around so she was leaning with her back against the railing. "They are very nice. I asked Kim to give me one of her old dresses, but she insisted on this one here, which has never been worn before. The best thing is, I'm allowed to keep it…. Although I don't really know what to do with it since I can't wear it during work."

"You could wear it to another dinner."

The thought made her laugh. "I don't think I'll be invited back here any time soon, Mr. Jane. I don't really want to, to be honest."

"Well, that's too bad…. If you don't want to join me for another dinner, then maybe you could start calling me Patrick instead?"

Lisbon rolled her eyes. "Fine, _Patrick_. I'm Teresa."

"Well then, _Teresa_, would you like to take a walk with me?"

She watched him a little uncertainly before she nodded and entwined her arm with his. "No funny business, Mister."

"I wouldn't dare to risk another punch in the nose."

Xxxxx

Rigsby watched his friend step toward the railing, Mr. Jane following right behind her. He could feel there was something going on between the two of them, even if Teresa didn't want to admit it.

A quiet "Excuse me…" behind him made him turn around. He gasped when he saw fine Miss Grace Bertram standing behind him, her fingers fiddling nervously with a part of her dress. She looked insecure and a little scared. Maybe it was because he was over a head taller than her; maybe it was because she'd never talked to someone from third class before.

"Miss… Miss Grace," he breathed, "I didn't realize you were following us."

"After your friend over there gave Erica and Lorelei a lecture about humanity, I didn't want to stay any longer. She is very brave, your friend. I wouldn't dare to say any of the things she had. I wish I were a little braver."

"Oh but you are brave, Grace…. You were brave enough to climb back on board yesterday night. You could have jumped and made all your problems vanish, but you didn't. Instead you climbed back to face them." He could see she was shivering, but he didn't know if it was because of the cold air or because of his words. He guided her back inside, happy to see none of the first class guests had decided to sit in the veranda café you could enter through the dining room to get outside on the deck.

They settled down at one of the tables, Grace still feeling very insecure, because it was anything but proper for a young lady like her to sit in a dark café on a ship with a man she didn't know. Her father would ground her to her room for a week.

"I didn't get the time to thank you properly for saving me yesterday, Mr. Rigsby. I placed you and your friend in great danger."

"There's nothing to thank me for, Miss. I was glad to be of service. I just… I still don't understand why a lovely lady like you would want to end her life? It's making me sad."

"Oh please, Mister Rigsby…."

"Wayne. My name is Wayne."

Grace sighed. "Fine, Wayne. I don't want to talk about it, because I am having a crisis at the moment. People have high expectations of me… _I_ have high expectations of myself, I don't know where to start or where to stop. I feel kind of stuck in my life and I don't see a way out. How do you do it?"

"Do what?" he asked, confused.

"How do you get up every morning and know exactly what you want to do today?"

Suddenly Rigsby started laughing, which offended the redhead. She stood up, putting her hands on her hips. "This is really rude! I'm pouring my heart out and you start laughing at me! Good night, Mr. Rigsby!"

She turned around to leave, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. "Please wait, Grace, I didn't mean to offend you."

"Then what's so funny about it?"

"The funny thing is that I don't wake up knowing what is going to happen, or who I'm going to meet. Yesterday I was still home in England, sleeping in a little room with rats and roaches and tonight I dined with a bunch of first class people…. Life is a gift and you shouldn't waste it by planning out every single step you make. You spend more time thinking than actually living. You have to make each day count."

Grace stared at him, her mouth slightly open. "That… sounds wonderful…."

"You should try it some time… Just letting the wind decide where it'll take you."

"I wish I could," she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. "I wish I was brave enough to tell all of this goodbye, but I don't think I can. I have to marry Craig, I have to help my father get his company back on track, I have to…." She pressed her hands to her face, not making any sound while she cried silent tears about a life she wished she could live but never would.

Rigsby didn't know what to say, so he got up from his chair and knelt down beside her, hugging her close. It didn't take long for her to finally get over her fear and hug him close, hiding her face in his shoulder.

* * *

Jane and Lisbon finished their walk on the forecastle. Once again they stopped at the railing, carefully leaning against it and watching the darkness that surrounded them. There was not much light on the ship and the moon currently hid behind a cloud, so the line between sky and sea was nowhere to be found.

Because she shivered a little, he took off his jacket and gave it to her. First she refused, but after he pointed out he didn't want her to freeze because he dragged her out for a walk, she took the black jacket and pulled it around her shoulders.

"I must thank you for coming with me tonight, Teresa. I know the dinner didn't turn out to be all fun, but I'm still glad you came."

"It wasn't that bad… the food was actually quite good. Except for the oyster. The oyster was weird…so slimy."

"Don't get me wrong, but I take it you're the type for fish and chips and pizza."

She laughed and nodded. "Yes. Give me the greasy food and I'm happy. I'm not the tablecloth and napkins type. Dinner was so… stiff. It's more fun down where we are. Sometimes I feel the more money you rich people have, the unhappier they are."

"I can't argue with that," he mumbled. He leaned a little closer to her so his shoulder bumped into hers, but she didn't seem to mind.

"Hey, if you ever want to see a real party, you should come and visit us down in third class."

"Sure. How about tomorrow?" he suggested, which threw her off guard.

She had a hard time hiding her excitement; instead she bit her lip, grinning like a fool. "Great…I uh…should get back now. I'm sure Wayne is waiting for me and our roommate Cho wants to know about the dinner."

"Sure. Will you meet me here tomorrow after lunch?"

"I guess I would like that."

"Great!" Jane grinned. "See you tomorrow then." He stepped closer and kissed her on the cheek, his lips lingering a few seconds too long there to make it a casual kiss between friends.

Surprised, she cupped her cheek, staring at him with wide eyes before she murmured, "Good night, Jane…"

"Good night, Teresa." He watched her leave, the light smell of her perfume in his nose and his lips still prickling from the sensation of her soft skin. Tomorrow was going to be interesting.

* * *

A/N: My cat got kittens today so I'm the happiest person on earth. You'd make it even better if you told me what you think of this chapter ;) free kittens for everyone!


	5. Chapter 5

Hello everyone :) Sorry for the long wait, but here's the new chapter! I hope you enjoy and it helps you to get through the hiatus... at least for a few minutes ;)

Thanks to the wonderful response to the last chapter! I really appreciate all your reviews and favs annd follows! You're the best! :)

* * *

(5)

Rigsby held Grace until she finished crying. His shirt was wet to his chest, but he didn't care. What was more important was the young woman in his arms, whose head rested against his shoulder, her arms having found their way around his neck a while ago.

He continued rubbing her back carefully, not daring to say a word. She was so small, so fragile. She was angry with the world and herself and couldn't do anything but sit and watch as people made decisions for her.

Grace sighed before she finally found the strength to let go of Rigsby. She wiped away the long dried tears, hoping she didn't look ugly with all her make-up smeared over her face. Well, it was dark, so the man in front of her wouldn't be able to see much anyway.

Rigsby let go of her, but he took one of her tiny cold hands in his. They were so warm and comforting, it made Grace blush. Craig's hands were always as cold as hers, but Rigsby's were different.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice hoarse from crying. "I shouldn't have told you all this."

"I'm glad you did, Miss Grace. Sometimes it's better to talk to someone than to swallow it down, you know? My friend Teresa… she's really great in not talking. Pretending things aren't happening around her."

"So is my brother," she mumbled, her lips almost twitching into a smile.

Rigsby laughed."I guess those two have found each other. They are both too stubborn to admit it though."

"My brother can't be with your friend… He… it's against the rules."

"What rules?"Rigsby asked, challenging.

Grace sighed. "The rules which also forbid me to be sitting here with you without a chaperon."

"What a feisty rule breaker you are then," he grinned, squeezing her hand, "See, it's not that hard to break the rules. And if you're honest with yourself, it feels somewhat exciting, doesn't it?"

"Perhaps a little?" Now she really smiled, squeezing his hand back. The gesture was so innocent but intimate, she was glad it was dark, because she could feel herself blushing.

"Look, I don't think you should marry this Stiles man. I know your father wants you to, but you deserve better, Miss Grace. Think of all the things you might be missing out on because of him. Do you really want to wake up one day and think that you wasted your life?"

"I have responsibilities, Wayne," she said, trying to sound strong, but her voice broke. "I can't just run away. It sounds really nice, the way you live. I wish I could do what I want, but a woman in my position can't. My father trusts me with this. I want to make him happy."

"But what about your happiness?" Rigsby insisted. He got up, pulling her with him. "What if you came with me? We would go with Teresa to her uncle and her brothers and from there we would do whatever we want, go wherever the wind carries us."

Carefully, Grace pulled her hand back, her eyes shimmering with tears once more. "That sounds wonderful; you have no idea how much I want to go with you. Why did God send you to me just now when I can't do anything about it? I can't leave all of this behind, Wayne."

"You can, but you don't want to," he added bitterly and stepped aside. "I know we just met, Grace, but I feel a connection between the two of us, a connection I have never felt with anyone before. I don't want to push you into something you don't want, but I see that you're not happy here. I will be waiting in case you change your mind."

Rigsby kissed the back of her hand. She felt his gaze on her and was glad it was too dark to see what was going on in his features.

"I… I should go now. I'm sure the others are already wondering where I am."

She wanted to leave through the wooden doors with the glass window, but Rigsby held her back. "Wait… please. When will I see you again?"

"I think it will be better for both of us to stop this improper behavior. You know I'm engaged. How would it look if I kept seeing a man from the third class?"

His face hardened. "That's what you see in me? A poor daydreamer from third class?"

"Of course not!" she insisted. "But that's what others think of you. I know you're not. You're a very, very brave, intelligent and loving man, Wayne. You're perfect in every way, just not for me." Grace swallowed hard.

Oh god she'd just met this man and was already about to fall head over heels in love. She had to stop before her heart engaged in something she couldn't control. "Good night, Mister Rigsby."

"Good night, Miss Grace," he answered quietly and watched her walk off. His heart was beating so fast, he slumped back into the chair, rubbing a hand over his face. Holy crap. What the hell did he think he was doing, asking her to run off with him? She was engaged, she was a lady from the world of the rich and beautiful. What made him think she'd take him up on his offer, just because she wasn't happy with her current life? He was an idiot.

First class or not, he knew he had to see her again. They'd shared something tonight, something intense, and he wasn't willing to let go of it so easily. But first he needed to sleep and think everything through. Maybe talk to Teresa, although she'd advise him to just let it go, like she did yesterday. Cho could be a good listener, he wasn't talking much anyway….

* * *

Jane didn't go back to his room right away. He stayed on the deck, thinking about Teresa, about Grace, about his life. Tomorrow, he'd have to talk to his sister, because now he knew he couldn't let her marry Craig Stiles.

Slowly, he made his way back up to the first class deck, feeling a little annoyed with their whole situation. It shouldn't be this way, it really shouldn't…. He checked Grace's room first, but she wasn't back yet. For a moment he considered waiting, but it would be better to talk to her tomorrow, like he first intended.

Jane entered his room, sensing that something was off immediately. There was a light coming from his bedroom, a light he didn't leave on in the first place. Carefully, he closed the door behind him, shrugging off the suit jacket.

"Hello?" he asked as he opened the door to the bedroom.

To his surprise, it was no one else but Lorelei, sitting on a chair in front of the mirror table, brushing her hair with one of his brushes. She smiled at him through the mirror and turned around, her hair draped over one of her shoulders.

"Hello Patrick." She smiled, her dressing gown made out of Indian silk hanging loosely around her small frame.

"Lorelei. What are you doing here?" he asked right away, trying to keep his pulse under control. He didn't like her, but he never said he was immune to a woman's beauty.

Smiling, she clicked her tongue. "I was looking for you, Patrick, and when you weren't in your room, I decided to stay here and wait for you…."

"And go through my stuff," Jane added angrily when he saw the opened safe on the cupboard on the other side of the wall. Just then he noticed the thin chain around Lorelei's neck, a chain which looked slightly familiar.

"Well you didn't tell me you were keeping pretty stuff like this from me…." She pulled out the Tear of Paradise from under her dressing gown, playing seductively with it. "Such a pretty gem…."

_So that__'__s why she came_, Jane thought, _she was tired of waiting for you to make a move. Well I__'__m sorry Lorelei, but this is not going to happen._

"Take the necklace off, Lorelei. Did your nursemaid not teach you it's not nice to take things which don't belong to you?"

The woman's jaw tightened. She didn't like to be treated like a child by him, didn't like to be put in her place. She let the emerald slip back between her breasts and patted it softly. "Why so tense, Patrick? I can make you relax, you know…."

"I just don't like it when people break into my room and search it for things which don't belong to them. I'm very tired, because I had a long evening. I'll see you in the morning."

With this he turned around and walked into the adjoining bathroom of his suite, locking the door behind him. Hopefully she would take the hint and leave—he didn't even care if she took the gem with her.

Yawning, he got ready for bed, changed his clothes into his night robe and washed his face. He took more time than he needed, hoping the longer he took the sooner Lorelei would leave.

Too bad he was mistaken. Once he entered his bedroom again, he was at a loss for words. Lorelei was lying on his bed, entirely naked. The only thing she wore was the necklace, which was dangling between her breasts.

Jane swallowed hard. "I told you to leave."

"Oh well, I'd rather stay here… the bed is so warm and cozy… care to join me?"

"Actually yes, I do. Lorelei. You're not stupid. We both know our parents arranged a marriage and Bertram told me to propose to you on this ship with this necklace as a pre-wedding gift. The thing is, I won't propose. If all you want is the necklace, you can have it, but I won't propose."

Her smile faltered for a second, but she managed to bring it back up. "You must have had too much wine, Patrick. How could you resist _this_?" She lazily slid her hand down her waist to her hip.

"By not being a fool like all the other men you seduced with a scheme like this. Don't waste your time, Lorelei, I'm not worth it. I'm sure Ray Haffner is just waiting for you to come by his room tonight."

Now her perfect mask started to crumble. Unbelievably cold eyes were staring at him. "You don't mean it, Patrick. I think that little piece of shit from the third class has clouded your senses."

His hands balled to fists. "Don't you dare insult her like that. She has a thousand times more charisma than you will ever have. Get dressed and leave, Lorelei. I'm tired and I don't want to call the ship's staff to get rid of you. It would be a little embarrassing for a woman in your position."

Angrily Lorelei got up, grabbing the dressing gown and wrapping it around her naked frame. She wasn't used to being rejected by a man, especially not in a vulnerable position like this. Her cold gaze told Jane he'd woken up some kind of monster.

"I will talk to my father about this, Patrick. You may be able to avoidmarrying me, but your sister is going to marry my brother and I'm going to make her life a living hell!"

"Is that a threat?" he asked, shrugging.

"No, it's a promise, Patrick. You should get that little piece of third class shit out of your head and start to realize your actions have consequences. I'll take THIS," she held up the necklace, the Tear of Paradise swinging violently in the air, "so you can make up your mind. You have until tomorrow night to decide, or poor naive little Grace's life will be a living hell." With this she turned around, leaving his room without looking back at him.

Sighing, he sat down on the bed, covering his face with his hands.

Things had just gotten a hundred times worse. Yes, he'd been positive about her making a move on him, but he hadn't expected her to do it this soon. Of course she would threaten Grace to make him do what she wanted. Everyone knew Grace was his weak spot and he'd do anything for his sister.

Jane lay down on the bed, switching the light off. His room was filled with complete darkness, as was his mind. He wouldn't get much sleep tonight, because he had a feeling Grace wasn't the only one threatened by Lorelei. The woman had made clear what she thought of Teresa. Once they met tomorrow, he'd have to warn her to be careful.

* * *

The next morning came quickly. Teresa woke up with a smile on her face, eager to return the dress to Miss Fischer and Miss Hightower and, later on, meet Jane.

When she'd left him yesterday evening on the deck, she'd felt his eyes following her until she vanished inside the ship, her cheek burning like hot iron on the spot where he kissed her.

She touched her cheek, her smile increasing even more.

"Someone's in a good mood," she heard from downstairs. She turned to the side, peeking over the rail of her bed down to Cho, who was sitting on the edge of his bed, a few sheets of paper and a pencil in front of him. Was he...writing?

"Well that's because I am."

"How was dinner last night?" he asked in a tone which could be interpreted as curiosity.

"Are you asking because you're interested or because you're just being polite?" she asked, a little confused.

"Because I'm interested. Rigsby told me about his encounter with the first class last night. You were already asleep when we came back. He's still out like a light."

Now Teresa leaned over the rail to take a look at the man who was lying in the bed underneath hers. He was lying on his stomach, legs and arms hanging off the sides. The bed was too small for him anyway, but this way it looked even more like he was sleeping in a bed made for a child rather than an adult.

"He's snoring," she laughed, before she sat up in bed, her legs crossed. "May I ask you a question? What is it that you do for a living, Cho?"

"I'm a journalist."

"Ah, so you want me to tell you my first class experience because...?" She raised an eyebrow.

"You don't have to if you don't want to." He put back the pen and started to store the sheets of paper in his backpack.

"No wait, I didn't say that. I'd love to tell you my story. Where shall I begin?"

"At the very beginning perhaps?"

Teresa smiled and did as he asked.

Xxxxx

They talked for over an hour before they were interrupted by a knock on the door. Because Teresa was still sitting on her bed, Cho got up to open it, surprised to find someone from the ship's crew with a note waiting outside.

"Is this the cabin of one Teresa Lisbon?"

"Yes, that's me," she called from upstairs. "What is this about?"

"A note for you," the man answered, giving Cho the piece of paper.

"Thanks," the Asian man answered, closing the door in the man's face. "The paper looks kind of fancy."

He stepped back between the beds and handed Teresa the note. She took it with a curious look, opening it carefully. "It's from Jane," she smiled.

'_Meet me in my room at 11am. The number is 135. I can't wait to see you. Patrick__'_

She reread the handwritten lines once again. Weren't they supposed to meet on deck after lunch? Why would he invite her to his room?

"What is it?" Cho asked. There was no curiosity in his voice, but depending on how eagerly he'd taken notes while she told him about how she managed to end up on the Titanic, he was more than a little interested.

"It's from Jane. He wants to meet me in his suite before lunch."

"Maybe he wants to invite you for lunch," he suggested, but she shook her head.

"No, he knows I don't want to have lunch with them again after Lorelei's pointed remarks."

"If you ask me, your Mr. Jane would rather come himself than send you a message. Will you really go and meet him?"

Teresa reread the note once again "I guess… I don't know what he wants, but maybe it's urgent. Whatever. Are you up for breakfast?"

"Who said something about breakfast?" Rigsby asked into his pillow. He yawned and turned on his back, pressing the pillow into his face. "You wanna go and have breakfast without me?"

"Of course you wake up the moment we talk about food, Wayne! Come on, get up and let's go to the dining room, or we will all have cold coffee like yesterday morning."

"The stuff they gave us yesterday was disgusting. I bet they have real coffee in first class." Rigsby sat up straight and bumped his head against the board of the bed above him. "Ouch! Dammit, I bet they have real beds in first class too!"

"But we are not in first class, so stop complaining Rigsby! If you guys wouldn't mind, I'd like to get dressed."

Rigsby rolled his eyes and slumped back against his bed, while Cho just chuckled, amused at how these two interacted. They were a good team and at least for the while they were on this ship, he was glad to be a part of it.

* * *

Once again Teresa was wearing the simple light blue dress, the only dress she owned. She was telling herself she only wore it so the ship's staff wouldn't kick her out before she even had the chance to give the other dress back to Miss Fischer.

Third class passengers weren't allowed to enter the first class area, especially if they weren't dressed properly. Yesterday evening no one had cared, because with the pretty dress and her elegant hairstyle, she'd looked like any other rich woman on the ship.

She stopped at the room with the number 101 and waited for someone to answer the door. Nervously, she waited, the dress and Wayne's suit in her arms.

The door opened soon after. It was Madeleine Hightower, who welcomed her with a warm smile and a short hug. "Teresa! It's good to see you again. I have to tell you, you looked fantastic yesterday evening."

She blushed a little, thanking Hightower for her compliment. "That's very nice, Madeleine, thank you. I wanted to bring back the dress and the suit. Thank you once again for lending them to us."

"Oh dear lord, Teresa! I told you to keep the dress!" Kim said when she saw the familiar guest.

"I know, but…. It's too much, I can't take it, really. This thing must have cost a fortune!" Teresa held the dress and the suit toward Kim, who stepped back.

"Please, it doesn't matter how cheap or expensive a dress is. The person who wears it grants its real virtue. You made it look perfect Teresa! You're the real treasure. Please keep it. I was so glad I could be there when you and Jane entered the room and Lorelei Stiles looked like she wanted to scratch your eyes out."

"They were really jealous," Hightower added, grinning. "Do you want to sit down? Have a cup of coffee?"

"I thought English people only drink tea!"

"Where you come from, maybe." Hightower laughed and led her into the sitting room. "How did you like the dinner yesterday, Teresa? You must tell us everything."

They sat down, Teresa watching in amazement how Kim poured her a cup of coffee. This woman didn't have any problems with getting her hands dirty by doing ordinary jobs like pouring a cup of coffee for her and her black-skinned friend. Someone like Lorelei had her servants for jobs like this.

"Thank you," Teresa said politely when Kim sat the cup down in front of her. The woman smiled and gave Madeleine's cup a refill.

"Wow, this tastes like real coffee," Teresa said, surprised. Maybe Wayne wasn't so wrong about the black stuff they served down in the third class after all.

"They have the craziest stuff here. You could request to bathe in milk and rose leaves and you'd get it," Kim explained with a hint of bitterness in her voice, shaking her head. "And on the other side of the world, children die because they don't have enough water to drink."

Madeleine put a hand on her arm. "Kim…"

"What, it's the truth! You should know of all people, Maddie! That's why I enjoyed seeing Lorelei's and Erica's faces when Jane went off with you, Teresa. Because there are _some_ things on this planet even money can't buy."

Teresa watched the two woman in silence. She still wasn't sure what to think of them. They were nice to her, but a very strange couple. Kim always said what she thought, not caring if it might offend other people. She cared about Hightower _a lot_, so Teresa wasn't sure if the two women were just friends or… maybe lovers.

Homosexuality was a forbidden subject, so she tried not to think of them as _that_. But she remembered how her mother had always told her that you can't control who you fall in love with, because love is something God gives you.

So she didn't care if the two women in front of her were lovers or not, she just adored the way Kim tried to protect the black woman from any harm.

"We're sorry, Teresa. Kim had an unpleasant encounter with one of the ship's crew just this morning after breakfast. Some of the people in first class are very offended by my presence at the meals and they requested that I dine in the room from now on," Hightower explained.

Teresa looked at them with huge eyes. "What? But why?" Of course she knew why, but the fact that someone had actually complained about her presence in the dining room….

"Because I'm black."

"No, it's not because you're black, it's because they are all stupid pigheads, that's why! We will not oblige them, Maddie, you hear me? We will continue to go there and I will spit into their tea if they dare to give you a strange look."

Hightower smiled, taking Kim's hand in hers. "Stop it, Kim. They're not worth it. I'd rather have a calm meal with you in this room than be the gossip topic of every meal. People are not only talking about me being black, I heard some whispers they think we are… you know?"

"What?!" Kim exclaimed, stunned. "They think we are lovers, you and me? What… I… I don't know what to say!" She looked over to Teresa, who was looking at her hands, because she felt this conversation was way too private to take part in it.

"Do you think we are lesbians, Teresa?"

The brunette gasped. "I… I don't know… you could be, but I don't care. It wouldn't make you any different from others."

"Oh my God. Oh. My. God. What happened to this world?" Kim mumbled, holding her head. She got up and went toward the little door which led outside to some kind of private deck for the first class passengers.

"We are not lovers, just so you know, Teresa," Hightower explained. "Kim and I are sisters. We have the same father. I'm originally from South Africa, the British colony. Kim's father was working down there, managing his trading company. My mother worked on one of his plantations and was killed by people from her own tribe when they found out she had a child with a white. They wanted to kill me too, but my father took me in and made Kim's mother raise me like her own. She hated me, always hated me, but Kim never did and when she died of variola, our father raised us on his own.

"I always had a hard time. People despised me for being my father's child, so Kim always wanted to protect me. Oh, you should have seen how she beat one of the white boys up because he wouldn't let me play with them, because I am black. She beat him up pretty bad and then took my hand, explaining their game was stupid anyway. Although she's just two years older than me, she always had the instinct to protect me. Even now when she doesn't have to anymore. That's why this is getting to her so much. She's just worried."

"Wow…" Teresa murmured, "I'm so sorry. You must have had it pretty bad in life."

"I don't pity myself, because I can tell the difference now. When people grow up this way, it's not their fault. They're too blind and worried to see the truth. Kim just wished she could beat everyone up like this little boy back then and make them treat me like one of them."

"I'm still sorry. If you… if you would like to dine in a place where people don't care who you are or how you look, you should come and dine with us some time. It's always fun. There's a lot of music and dancing, you know?"

"That's a very nice offer Teresa, thank you. I… I don't want to be rude, but I think I have to talk to Kim alone for a while."

"Of course! Thanks for the coffee… I'll see you around some time, okay?" Teresa said and got up. She felt a little uncomfortable, but not because of Madeleine. This woman had such a good heart and the only thing people judged her by was her skin color.

"I think I will get back to the dinner offer. Goodbye, Teresa."

They said their goodbyes, and before Hightower could close the door, Teresa got a quick look at the huge wooden clock on the wall. It was almost eleven.

Just then she realized she had left the dress inside, but maybe she could come back later to pick it up, so she wouldn't interrupt the sisters.

Slowly, she walked down the corridor to room 135, mentally preparing to meet Jane now. What could he want? Why would he invite her to his room?

Well, there wouldn't be any answers to this question if she kept on standing outside the door, waiting for it to magically open.

Carefully, she knocked, but there was no answer. Was she too early? Was he not there yet? She knocked again, then turned the knob. The room was lit, but Jane was nowhere to be seen. "Patrick?" she asked uncertainly.

"Patrick, are you here?" Teresa stepped inside, looking around. The room looked a little weird…not really…masculine.

A shimmering on the floor caught her eye. She looked down, finding a beautiful necklace with a big green gem shaped like a tear lying on the carpet. Why would a beautiful piece of jewelry like this be left on the floor?

She picked it up without thinking, watching the emerald shining in the dim light of the suite.

"There she is!" a female voice exclaimed agitatedly. "There she is and she is stealing my necklace!"

Teresa turned around, stunned to see Lorelei standing in the doorway, two men of the ship's crew behind her.

"What…?" she asked, confused, still holding the necklace.

"Could you explain to us what you're doing in this room?" one of the men asked. Teresa recognized him from two evenings ago. He was the one who had arrested Rigsby.

"I…" Helplessly she tried to explain herself, but the two men were already in front of her, cuffing her hands behind her back.

"I didn't do anything!" she finally managed to say.

"Sure, so this is your necklace you were just holding in your hand?"

"No!"

"The safe is open! She must have taken it out of the safe!" Lorelei exclaimed. "I'm sure there is even more missing!"

Now Teresa looked up, staring directly into Lorelei's cold eyes. A devilish smile ran over the other woman's face. Of course. The letter, the open door, the necklace…. This wasn't Jane's room and he was not the one who'd sent the message. Suddenly Teresa realized she'd been set up.

* * *

Ooooh Lorelei is so mean I really love to use her as Lisbon's mean counterpart ;) I hope you enjoyed the chapter! It's be awesome if you'd let me know what you think :)  
Liefs


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